Girls summit on technology set at FMCC

May 16, 2014

JOHNSTOWN - The Amsterdam-Gloversville-Johnstown branch of the American Association of University Women will hold its annual Tech Savvy Summit for Girls on Tuesday from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Fulton-Montgomery Community College.

A total of 178 girls and 22 advisers representing 14 school districts in Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties have registered to attend, a news release said.

This is the third year the conference, previously the Sister to Sister Summit, will focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) workshops. The Tech Savvy Summit will provide hands-on experiences in a college environment.

Those preregistered may pick up packets at the FM Student Union lobby Tuesday from 8:15 to 8:40 a.m.

Breakfast snacks will be provided in the dining area.

The workshop sessions will take place in the classroom building, library and theater area. Lunch will be served in the FM dining area from 11:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m., followed by the capnote speaker from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. in the theater.

The conference will end at 1:30 p.m. Students do not need to bring food or money to the summit.

Girls registered will attend three workshops.

Fourteen workshops are being offered. Choices include: robotics, nonotechnology, exploring physics, chemistry experiments, stage craft technology, medical diagnosing, designing homes and landscapes with Legos, using science to solve crimes, making videos, hands-on engineering workshop, making lip balm, using computers to save time and money, learning where jobs come from, and practicing how to write about yourself for college applications and jobs resumes.

The capnote speaker will be electrical engineer Elizabeth Serena Pynadath Bentley, Ph.D. Bentley, a Johnstown High School graduate, worked for one year as a National Research Council post-doctorate research associate at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, Oneida County. She has been working as an electrical engineer at AFRL for the last five years.

Bentley's presentation, "You're Not the Boss of Me: I Do Research!" will focus on the perks of having a research position.

A program for adults regarding the new Pathways Through Technology program also will be offered. The Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery Board of Cooperative Educational Services designed the program for freshmen who want to graduate from high school with an associate degree in a technology-based field. BOCES Principal Michael Dardaris will speak at 10 a.m. in room C-110.